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Over the years Rob has invested in hundreds of founders around the world who are building…
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Das Tegernsee 2023
Das Tegernsee 2023
A few weeks ago, together with my friend Reilly Brennan, we hosted our 6th annual invite-only Future of Transportation…
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisThrilled to be an investor in this Kiwi company - foiling watercraft are destined to become mainstream vehicles for maritime transport, and Vessev is leading the way.Robert Coneybeer shared this11,000 nautical miles of commercial operation and an incredible global customer base. Today we're announcing US$19M raised in our Series A and follow-on financing, led by Blackbird, with support from Icehouse Ventures, K1W1, Shasta Ventures, NZVC, GD1 (Global From Day One) and Rypples. We are also announcing our first US customer, FlyTahoe. We are now in serial production on the VS–9 with multiple vessels in build for international delivery. This raise has scaled that and will take Vessev global. This team has worked hard to earn it. And one of our vessels has just landed in the USA. It might be coming to a city near you soon. 👀 Onward.
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisIncredibly impressed by what this team has accomplished. This video was from only about a year after the company was founded. And as you might imagine, they've made an order of magnitude more progress over the last two years since this video was recorded.Robert Coneybeer shared this50km autonomous reconnaissance mission. No interventions, no teleoperation, no safety driver in the vehicle. 10x speed so you can see the whole thing. Watch Overland AI's OverDrive autonomy stack choose its own path, deftly navigating dirt roads, trails, and gnarly cross-country terrain. Tall vegetation, steep ditches, thick mud, water crossings, and even cattle. This is true off-road autonomy, recorded in government tests two years ago, and finally approved for public release.
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Robert Coneybeer reposted thisRobert Coneybeer reposted thisSilicon Valley upside with a New Zealand lifestyle isn't a dream. It's what companies like Partly offers. Most people assume you have to choose: tier-1 startup career or quality of life. Work at a rocketship in SF and sacrifice everything else, or live somewhere beautiful and accept that the most interesting companies are somewhere else. Partly breaks that trade-off. I've spent my career working some of the best founders and product teams in the world. I've seen a lot of companies up close. Partly is one of the best I've encountered. Not one of the best in New Zealand, one of the best, period. Maximum ambition, relentless execution. These aren't people writing strategy decks about the future. They're shipping it, day after day, with the rigour and intensity needed to build a global generational company. They're building the missing infrastructure for the 1.9 trillion auto parts market: one of the last major industries running without a shared data layer. No common language for parts. No system connecting manufacturers, distributors, and repairers. Think what Stripe did for payments, but for an industry that still runs on phone calls and PDFs. This is category creation: there's no playbook, no incumbent to copy. You're building products for problems no one has solved before. And you're doing it from New Zealand. Backed by the same calibre of investors behind the biggest names in tech. Living in one of the most beautiful countries on earth. With a team that proves world-class companies don't need a Bay Area zip code. They're hiring Product Managers for their product and engineering hub in New Zealand right now. They sponsor visas for those relocating, including for families. If you're a PM who's tired of optimising someone else's playbook, and is ready to write your own, this is the one. Link to the roles in the comments, or DM Harry Uffindell and Joachim Ritter.
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisYet another fast-growing Kiwi-founded company which started in New Zealand. I'm thrilled to have joined the cap table a few years ago as a small personal investor. Min-Kyu Jung and his team are breaking away from the pack in a crowded category by focusing on delivering an exceptional user experience.Robert Coneybeer shared thisWe're excited to share that Ivo has raised $55M in Series B funding, led by Blackbird Ventures, with participation from Costanoa Ventures, Uncork Capital, Fika Ventures, GD1 (Global From Day One), and Icehouse Ventures. Since our last round, we've grown ARR by 500% and expanded Fortune 500 adoption by 250%. Our customers report saving up to 75% of the time they used to spend on manual contract review. In-house contracting teams are under more pressure than ever; they have more contracts to review with fewer resources. In addition, contracts contain a wealth of strategic business data that can help organizations assess risk and discover opportunity, but that data is often locked away, inaccessible to the people who need it the most. We built Ivo to solve both challenges faced by contracting teams: providing surgical accuracy in contract review and offering visibility into the strategic data inside agreements. We want to thank the teams at Uber, Shopify, Atlassian, Reddit, Inc., Canva, CDW, and hundreds of other organizations that trust us to transform how they work with contracts. Here’s to many more milestones together.
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisThis graphic speaks for itself - exciting to see how quickly the NZ startup ecosystem is growing.Robert Coneybeer shared thisIs anything interesting happening in NZ? This was a common question I faced from offshore investors. It prompted me to create the first Rising Stars image in 2018 (in comments below). Fast forward to today, there is no question that the New Zealand ecosystem is vibrant, growing, and consistently producing consequential companies. Bridgette Abernethy’s masterpiece re-invention of Rising Stars captures it here. Free Icehouse Ventures hat/ socks/ lapel pin for anyone who picks up on a significant company we missed. Tag away : )
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisThere is so much amazing, world-class stuff going on in the New Zealand technology ecosystem. And more importantly, superstar product leaders like Bowen Pan and Maya Pan are moving their families here, actively engaging and contributing their skills to accelerate leading Kiwi startups like Vessev, and making New Zealand their home.Robert Coneybeer shared thisDid you know New Zealand is home to one of only two companies in the world producing commercial hydrofoil boats - imagine a Tesla crossed with an airplane, gliding over water. Yesterday, Maya Pan and I had the incredible opportunity to ride Vessev's VS-9, their first electric hydrofoil craft, alongside Eric Laakmann and Sophie Pinto-Raetz. The experience reminded me of the first time I drove an EV — quieter, smoother, and categorically better. But this time, it was on the water. What’s even more exciting? It’s not just a better ride — it’s also dramatically more efficient, zero-emission, and cheaper to operate. Vessev is doing for marine transport what Tesla did for cars. It’s a bold, homegrown vision of what sustainable, high-performance sea travel can look like - and it’s happening right here in New Zealand. The future is foiling.
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisHoly cow is right! Congrats to Craig Piggott and the entire Halter team on another amazing milestone. It’s already been a big year for other leading Kiwi startups like Dawn Aerospace and Tracksuit, who have landed big financings and customer contracts. The New Zealand startup ecosystem is booming with a deep bench of exciting companies. If you’re a tech industry veteran, interested in joining one of these companies, getting meaningful equity in a world-class startup, and making New Zealand your home, give me a shout.Robert Coneybeer shared thisHoly cow: Halter has just raised US$100 million ($165m) at a US$1 billion ($1.65b) valuation. Madison Malone talks to founder Craig Piggott in Texas - a long way from the firm's first farm in Morrinsville. The round was led by San Francisco-based BOND with investment from NewView Capital, continued support from local investors Blackbird and Icehouse Ventures, and ongoing backing from Bessemer Venture Partners, DCVC and Promus Ventures (a trio of Silicon Valley VCs who were also early backers of Rocket Lab, where Piggott had his first job. Peter Beck offered key backing, mentoring and door-opening). Recent developments include a key regulatory win in New South Wales, where farmers can now use Halter's smart collars and virtual fencing for the first time, and its push into the US. Robbie Paul, CEO of the Auckland-based Icehouse Ventures, says his firm has $80m invested in Halter - making it easily it's single largest play - with a holding value of $200m. "We have participated in every round to the maximum extent possible," Paul says. "There is so much to celebrate. By my count, Halter joins only Rocket Lab and Lanzatech as New Zealand-founded companies that have achieved a US$1b valuation while remaining privately held. (Nuro, Supabase, Wayve, Allbirds, Fresha, and Airwallex are other offshore-Kiwi-founded unicorns.) "After launching on their first commercial farm in late 2020, Halter has scaled to more than 1000 farms across New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. In 2024, they were named New Zealand’s fastest growing company by the Deloitte Fast 50 Index." (links to stories about those firms in comments) Daegwon Chae Charlie Baker Guy Horrocks https://lnkd.in/gYZBnfFhRockets to ranches: How Halter's cattle collars turned a Kiwi start-up into a US$1b unicornRockets to ranches: How Halter's cattle collars turned a Kiwi start-up into a US$1b unicorn
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisNew Zealand summers are the perfect antidote to Seattle winters, with a fast-growing tech ecosystem to match. If you're interested in joining me at this event in Seattle on May 29th and learning more about world-class startups in New Zealand, as well as how to get a NZ residence visa, send me a note.Robert Coneybeer shared thisWhile this Thursday in Austin, Texas I will be accompanying New Zealand's Ambassador to the U.S. for an evening networking immersion into New Zealand and its Investor Visa Program, next Thursday May 29th, I'll be curating a similarly formatted gathering in SEATTLE, hosted at the home of one of the more passionate and active U.S. investor migrants to New Zealand - Robert Coneybeer (Co-Founder of Shasta Ventures)....Details below and DM me if you're keen to join us (we're almost 'at capacity') and learn more about New Zealand's opportunities, and why it's become very popular with U.S. families and investors in 2025... all while enjoying the NZ wines and networking with some of your similarly globally curious peers! So.. Seattle next Thursday May 29 & Austin this Thursday May 22 (still a few spots left) #InvestNewZealand #ActiveInvestorPlus #InvestorVisa #NewZealand
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Robert Coneybeer shared thisI've been a huge fan of Endeavor since long before I started to invest heavily in the New Zealand startup ecosystem, and as a result it's an honor to serve on the founding board of Endeavor New Zealand together with Randy Reddig, David Teece, Finn P., Suse Reynolds and Sam Blackman. Endeavor's proven not-for-profit model is well-positioned to dramatically accelerate the growth of Kiwi startups over the next decade, and as a result, will have a material positive impact on the future of New Zealand.Robert Coneybeer shared thisMeet the Founding Board of Endeavor New Zealand! 🇳🇿 We opened our 46th global office in Auckland, New Zealand, with a mission to empower local entrepreneurs to build world-class companies right from home. But establishing an office is only part of the equation. It’s the people who drive the mission forward. 👥➡️ The whole founding board brings global expertise and deep connections to the local ecosystem: Robert Coneybeer, David Teece, Finn P., Randy Reddig, Sam Blackman, and Suse Reynolds. 🌍 And for the first time for any office, we're launching with two Endeavor Entrepreneurs already sitting on our founding board, Finn and Sam, who showcase the strength of Kiwi innovation. 💪 Together with Managing Director Austin Teece, they'll identify the most promising entrepreneurs and connect them with the mentorship, networks, and capital needed to build world-changing companies, all without needing to leave home. 🏠🚀 A heartfelt thank you to this founding board for laying the groundwork for a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem! #MoreThanScale #Entrepreneurship #MultiplierEffect
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked thisGreat night at the Icehouse Ventures Showcase. Every year they lift the bar- the presentations all had so much substance and so cool to see how generational companies like Sharesies, Crimson and Halter looked on stage when they first presented in the video they shared. Thanks for the 1000 piece Brighter Future puzzle- my 14 year old and I have been doing it and in this size you can see a lot more of the Easter eggs of how companies have been incorporated- like little Ārepa bottles, Compostic and Cleanery packets and a subtle BoardPro on a building. So fun to see so many great people we have been lucky enough to work with included!
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked thisBlackbird has raised NZ$1.25 billion to keep investing in wild hearts, with the wildest of ideas, right at the very beginning - and through every round they raise 💜 From a $300K angel round cheque in Marloo, to leading Baseten's Series F with a $240M cheque, this fund gives us the flexibility to do it all. We are the largest source of local capital for Kiwi founders. We invest in Aussies too of course - but HALF the new investments in our most recent fund have been into Kiwi founders 🥝 My DMs are open, would love to hear from you if you're building something new 👀
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked this(not AI slop) It was my birthday yesterday - and I spent it on a flight to SF. Some people would say "oh that sucks - travelling on your birthday for work" But perspective is a wild thing. When you're a founder it isn't "work". It's what you love. You either have it in you or you don't. Some insatiable desire to get up and get punched in the face everyday. (ideally after 3 espressos) You learn to love the hard stuff. Until you stop thinking it's hard. You get so used to it being hard - that when there's no fire to put out or problem to solve you feel uneasy. Cheers to leaning into the punches. To the General Compute team - this year is ours for the taking. If we fail it's on us. LFG Jason, Danie, Mark-Daniel, Noa, Paulo! 🚀
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked thisToday marks a pivotal milestone for Outlier Space. We've closed a US$7.35 million pre-seed round - one of the largest pre-seed raises in New Zealand history. The round was led by GD1 (Global From Day One), with participation from Nova Threshold, Brian Cartmell, Airtree, Icehouse Ventures, Investible and Side Stage Ventures. The funding will enable us to develop our first reusable satellite capsules, which will carry research and manufacturing payloads to microgravity and return them safely to Earth. These satellites will be able to fly on any available rocket. The calibre of our investor group is a strong endorsement of both the opportunity ahead and the team behind Outlier Space. It also further reinforces New Zealand's reputation for delivering world-class engineering and aerospace innovation. Jamie France, our Founder and CEO, said, "We're extremely grateful for the confidence our investors have placed in us. We're building a platform that will provide reliable, scalable access to microgravity. The potential is significant, the timing is right, and our team is focused on delivering.” To our investors, partners and supporters, thank you for backing our vision and sharing our ambition. We're just getting started. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gmXHW5t6 #OutlierSpace #AccessTheImpossible #SpaceTech #Microgravity #DeepTech #Aerospace #VentureCapital
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked thisAs we approach the July 4th holiday, I find myself thinking about what it really means to be proud to be American. To me, being proud to be American is not about thinking we are perfect. It is about honoring the freedom we inherited, accepting the responsibility to protect it, and choosing to do our part to make this country stronger for the next generation. This photo takes me back to my time in the SEAL Teams, where I learned that love of country is not just something you say. It is something you live. It shows up in sacrifice, teamwork, responsibility, and the willingness to stand beside people from all different walks of life in service of something bigger than yourself. That is what Independence Day means to me. It is a reminder that freedom was earned. It is a reminder that freedom must be protected. It is a reminder that we are connected by more than our differences. To be proud to be American is to be grateful for the people who came before us, responsible for the country we are shaping now, and committed to the generations who will come after us. We may not always agree. But we share a bond. We share a flag. We share a future. We share the responsibility to keep building a country worthy of the sacrifices. That is something worth celebrating. Happy Independence Day Week. Be Unstoppable.
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisRobert Coneybeer liked thisWe lost Silicon Valley’s gentlest giant this week. Om was truly one of one and being in his presence, especially traveling with him, was the kind of experience that rearranged you at a molecular level. I will miss his unbounded curiosity, his incredible kindness, and the impish sparkle in his eyes right before he bowled you over with his brilliance and wit. Thanks, Trae, for capturing this magical moment!
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Robert Coneybeer liked thisBig day for Menlo Ventures celebrating our 50th anniversary and funds totaling $3B, but really its more about the progress and transformation we've made as a firm around this massive AI wave. Grateful to have the team and partners we do to have capitalized on this rare moment in time. Yes, getting the Anthropic investment right early was critical, but that wouldn't have happened without the strong set of technical partners we've built out and a culture and challenger mentality that helps us lean into huge opportunities! The flexibility to compete and win from the earliest seed investments with $1-10M to the outlier AI winners with >$100M capital, our barbell, has been a game changer in our strategy and success. thanks Natasha Mascarenhas for getting to know us better and weaving the story together of how we got here, and where we're headed! More to come! 🙏Robert Coneybeer liked thisBloomberg's Natasha Mascarenhas wrote the story on Menlo’s $3B raise, the largest in our history. Matt Murphy, Shawn Carolan, and Venky Ganesan spoke with Bloomberg about our AI strategy, how the market has evolved, and why we’re prepared to meet this moment. Read the story: https://lnkd.in/g9jAvkYEEarly Anthropic Backer Menlo Lands $3 Billion in Its Largest-Ever HaulEarly Anthropic Backer Menlo Lands $3 Billion in Its Largest-Ever Haul
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